Indian mobile users prefer ads to be creatively stimulating

NEW DELHI: Smartphone and tablet users in India feel ideal mobile advertisements should be informative, creatively eye-catching and enhance their social standing, a survey by Internet giant Yahoo and global media and marketing services firm Mindshare revealed.

According to the 'Getting Mobile Right' survey smartphone users in India are avid consumers of news.

"Sixty seven per cent of the respondents desire ads that allow for creative expression, while 61 per cent prefer advertisements that enhances their social standing," the survey said.

Besides, 60 per cent of the respondents said they would prefer ads that can be shared with their friends, family, etc, whereas, 58 per cent would go for ads that have something interesting to talk about, it added.

The survey also revealed both, smartphones and tablets users, are avid consumers of news, especially political news.

The survey was conducted in July-August this year covered 504 smartphone and 101 tablet users in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

"Given the mobile growth in India, the potential for brands to engage with their consumers via smart devices is tremendous," Yahoo! Head Insights (India and South-East Asia) David Jeffs said here.

The study seeks to understand consumer behaviour -- how does their habits change during the day, how does this impacts the way they use their devices and what do they consume on their devices, he added.

"Smart devices have transformed consumer behaviour and how they interact with their brands. India is poised to grow its smart device penetration at a dramatic pace, which means marketers have to prepare their brands for this opportunity," Mindshare Leader Business Planning Asia Pacific Deepika Nikhilender said.

Mobile's role in the path to purchase and at the retail environment is becoming critical and marketers have to find interventions that can attract consumer interest, she added.